Spotted Canary Blog

I have debated and debated about whether to blog about a very recent trauma relating to my husband’s side of the family. I have started numerous blog writings in my notebook, have made it half way through them, and then have hit a brick wall, too distracted with our family issues to finish them. So, I am biting the bullet and feel as if I write about this situation, it will allow my mind to be cleared, the brick walls to crumble and I can move on and continuing to inspire all of you on a weekly basis! Forgive me for the lapse in posts over the past two weeks.

On September 3rd, my husband’s only sibling was diagnosed with a stage III malignant brain tumor. His name is Jeff and he is only 34 years old. The news sent our family into complete turmoil; from shock to denial, from unexplainable fear to semi-acceptance, we have all been through the waves and stages of emotions that accompany serious illness. He was told by the team of surgeons in our hometown that it was inoperable and his only hope was with chemo and radiation to possibly shrink the tumor in order to buy him a little more time. Two years was their prognosis for life expectancy.

Because you don’t know this family, I will tell you that they are the most hard-working people I have ever met, and they spend their lives working God’s earth as grain farmers. They are stubborn and sacrifice so much to fight the elements of Mother Nature each year to secure their livelihood. To a group with their morals and ethics, I’m sure it won’t surprise any of you that the news from the doctors was completely unacceptable to all of them. Through family friends, they were guided to a renowned brain surgeon in Indianapolis, IN, were able to get an appointment within two days, and had surgery scheduled for a week later.

Immediately following the first diagnosis, my sister-in-law called a photographer and set up a family photo shoot. The page I am posting uses one of the photos and it symbolizes the chain of our family and the love that holds us together. My wish is that it will inspire all of you to cherish each moment with your loved ones, take special photographs, and capture the times with your families by creating memory pages or special family frames for your homes.

We are all Christians, and have been able to call on and lean on other people in our Christian families. They have supported Jeff and all of us through prayer, and the chain continues to grow on a daily basis. Jeff had surgery this past Friday, and the surgeon was able to remove over 90% of the tumor. He will begin radiology and chemotherapy treatments within the next few weeks once the healing from the surgery has occurred. The doctor has extended his life expectancy to at least 5 to ten years and we feel so blessed for the extra time with him.

Trauma and tragedy have a way of pulling people together; they bring out the truest of true feelings and create a bond that you never knew could exist. They produce the revealing of those who ultimately care about you and who are willing to stand beside you through the whole ordeal. Most of all they challenge one’s faith, and humble everyone involved. I am so thankful that our family is full of faith and that it has been strengthened to newer heights.

Thank you all for allowing me to share and clear my heart and head! I am looking forward to sharing many more interesting, inspiring, and creative posts in the very near future!

I will leave you with one last thought… Don’t put off today what you could do tomorrow – you never know what tomorrow will bring!

~ Karen (Kabby)

 “School days, school days, Dear old Golden Rule days,
‘Reading and ‘riting and ‘rithmentic” …. is in full swing.

Today I want to share some fun and inexpensive

• Ways to organize those valuable school tools and to show you how to dress up totes, backpacks, gym bags, or lunch sacks.
• I also want to give you a simple but “super cute” idea on how to send a little thank you to your child’s teacher to show how much you appreciate their hard work and dedication. Let’s get “Back to School” and create some fun!

Organization is not my child’s strengh. I try to encourage him to pick up after himself, keep his closet and drawers tidy, and put back all the crafting supplies left on the table. This can be challenging --- and easier said than done.

Taking a few supplies you have in your recycle bin and and digging into your scrap paper, you can create a one-of-a-kind organizer that is not only cute but also functional. Recycle your old cereal box or a box that canned goods fit into. Cut 4 - 6 holes in the top of the box using cans as your pattern. Green bean cans, soup cans, peanut containers all will work. Make sure to take care of the sharp edges on your metal cans before crafting with them. I wouldn’t want any little fingers cut.

•  The box serves as a tray to keep the supplies all in one place.
• It is also mobile. You can move it to the desk, kitchen bar, or onto a TV tray.
• The cans promote organization by having your child sort his/her supplies. All the markers go in one can, scissors, in another, pencils, glue, etc. are sorted by containers.
• This is a great tip to share with an elementary teacher.
•  Create a tray just for his/her desk with new markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, etc. Teachers appreciate having a tray of supplies so handy that they can move it to their reading groups, circle time, or even outside for a special outdoor learning program.
•  Don’t be surpised if your child’s teacher makes one for each of his/her student’s desks.
  

My daughter is in several before-and-after school programs. She runs cross-country, swims competitively, and sings in a before school choir. Several of these extra activities require supplies or equipement. To keep her organized and ready for the day, we created totes for each activity. I used inexpensive bags that I found at the craft store. I also used my 40% coupons to make the totes even more reasonibly priced. I had some fabric scraps, and we purchased 20 cent felt squares.

You can design a bag to match the activity. For example, a soccer ball for a soccer bag, or you can create a bag that reflects your child’s personality. I used embrodiery floss to stitch the pieces onto each bag. If you are a non-sewer, then use no-sew glue to secure the felt. These bags will keep you organized for the next activity or event in your child’s day. It also applies to personalizing a backpack or your child’s lunch sack. The ideas are endless…

Make a teacher’s day by creating a little gift basket to say thank you. This project would also be great to create for the entire class as a celebration for being in school for a month or for your own child on grade card day. One sheet of cardstock is all you need to create the base of the box and a little wire, scrap paper, and candy or healthy treats to fill the box. I use a party box as my pattern. Then I can recreate it as many times as I wish! You could change the box from an apple design to a ghost, or book character like the Hungry Caterpillar from Eric Carle’s classic story. Have fun and find ways to celebrate all the little joys life brings without having to spend tons of money.

I hope this blog article “made the grade” and gave you some fun and creative ways to make your child and your child’s teacher feel special without subtracting from the bank account.

View more teacher gift ideas here.

~Studio Pink ( Kara Ward)

 Even though the stores are already stocked with Christmas décor, I am dreaming of fall. The signs have begun in my area. The air is cool in the mornings waiting for the school bus and crisp at night during our walks. Leaves are starting to fall and crunch under our feet.

Every night my son picks up a stick or two or three and carries them to our home. I had such a collection that I knew I had to use the sticks in some kind of upcoming craft projects.

The best part is that the sticks are free and the other supplies amount to little money, if any, and may already be something you have at home.

• A picture frame - Using twigs, acorns, seeds, and pinecones, you can create a repetitive pattern around a dollar store frame, a piece of cardboard, or a frame you already have at home and aren’t using. Change the length of the sticks and the direction of the sticks to achieve a completely different look. Add fabric to accent a color in your home. If you don’t have any fabric at home, think of old clothes that you or your family no longer wear. The material from the clothes makes a simple frame a treasured piece of art. The sticks found together on a walk and the material from Grandpa’s favorite old flannel shirt instantly captures a moment that your family holds near and dear to their heart. You are preserving it with this frame.

•  Necklace - It seems like nature is mimicked in many pieces of jewelry. I find beads the color of grass and the shades of the sky, metal findings that look like tree branches, and blown glass leaves. Why not use a small twig wrapped with wire to create a natural necklace. Choose accent pieces that stay true to the colors of the earth. Thrift stores are one of my favorite places to find old necklaces from which I can remove the beads and create a new project with the pieces. Look at old earrings and the brilliant beads and pearls in them. With a pair of wire cutters, you can create many pieces of wearable art without spending very much. 

• Spiders Halloween Fun - If you have a sweet gum tree in your area, then you are familiar with the prickly seeds it drops all year long. Looking at the seeds made me think of all the spiders I see this time of year. I know -- seeds and spiders are a strange combination. If you spray paint the seeds black and hot glue 4 sticks to each side of the seed, they look just like a spider. Create several and have them on display under a glass dome or as part of a centerpiece for Halloween. This makes an easy and cute accent created from nature and a can of spray paint.

• Wreath - Large sticks create an amazing square shaped wreath. Arrange your sticks in a square frame with them slightly overlapping. Wire your corners together. You can also add cardboard corners to stabilize the wreath. Tie some burlap and ribbon together, and you have a unique fall wreath. I recently saw some square wreaths going for $50 online. This one will only cost you ribbon and wire.

• Seasonal tree - I used a large branch and spray painted it white. While the paint was wet I sprinkled it with large crystals of glitter. I found a vase at the dollar store and some clear marbles. The stick went into the vase and was stabilized with the marbles. I hang hearts on the tree for Valentine’s Day, handmade ornaments for Christmas, dyed, blown-out eggs for Easter, etc. This fall I am hoping to make leaves for the tree from old sweaters. My girlfriend copied this idea and placed it in her bedroom. After spray painting it silver, she hangs her jewelry on it. She looked for a stick with tons of little branches.

When you are on a walk, driving through your neighborhood or on your way to work, take a moment and notice the beauty nature has on display for us.

Recreate it in your home or wear it. Whichever way you choose will be pennies in your pocket.

Happy Crafting this fall.

~Kara (Studio Pink)

Grand•parent / granpairent, grand–/ n. parent of one’s father or mother.

So, that’s the Webster’s version of the meaning, but to me, it holds more than that! It holds a long list of memories from my childhood through young adult years. My father’s parents lived about four hours away, and we generally visited them once or twice a year, usually over the Thanksgiving Holiday. It became more of a family reunion of sorts at their 100+ year old home where my dad grew up. All of the adult relatives would gather, spending hours cooking, chatting, playing cards, and watching football, while the kids played round after round of hide and seek, lots of board games, and had many races on the back sidewalks with Grandma’s old tricycles. The highlight was always the food – my great-grandma always made homemade noodles from scratch, and my grandma had the knack for baking the most incredible pecan and pumpkin pies.

I was lucky enough to have my mom’s parents in my hometown, so I saw them weekly and was very close to both of them. They were present at birthday parties, holidays and every other family celebration. I can still see my grandma sitting in our kitchen snapping beans and canning pickles with my mom, singing silly songs the entire time to make the work go faster!

They were such wonderful role models for us, and each year we would remember them with crafty gifts on Grandparent’s Day.  When I was small, the projects usually consisted of items found in nature (ie: acorns, leaves or rocks), glued to a piece of paper or a board, or something very unique crafted out of dry macaroni! Regardless of what I made, it was always received with the biggest bear hug and lots of praise. As I grew and knew that art and paper crafts were my passion, the gifts became a little more involved and substantial. So, for me, Grandparent’s Day became the perfect excuse to use my crating talents  to show them the love I had for them!

Now, my children are at the age where they are interested in creating special gifts for their grandparents, and I am glad they have adopted such giving hearts. It is fun to work along side of them and watch what they come up with! My son isn’t into the crafting and art “side” of life, so I usually think of something that he can give them and create it for him.

Here are a few suggestions and examples for simple Grandparent gifts  and projects!
 
 

• Cards
• Photo Cubes
• Bookmarks
• Family Calendar
• Photo Refrigerator Magnets
• Bouquet of Paper Flowers
 
 
 
 
 
•  Mini albums
•  Hand-decorated photo frames
•  Decorated jar for candy
•  Beaded watch or bracelet
•  Mini Photo Book filled with family photos
 
 

Hopefully these ideas will inspire you to create a unique and meaningful gift for the Grandparents in your life and your kid’s lives this year!!

Happy Crafting

~ Karen {Kabby} 

...inexpensive travel games and tips
 

 
Oh, just the thought of a road trip gets my heart pumping and my creativity in overdrive. Whether it is a long trip across the nation or a short trip close to home, you can make a car trip fun and educational. Each of the ideas listed are adaptable for children and adults. They can be personalized for your family or your group of girlfriends. Leave the DVD player out of the car, grab a favorite snack and some tunes -- let the adventure begin!

•  Save your Altoids tins or any little metal box to create a favorite game of Tic-Tac-Toe. Cover the box with scraps of patterned paper, or a photo mat pad is a perfect size for this project. Add magnetic pieces behind the buttons, and you are ready to play. This little game is perfect for tossing into your purse for long waits at restaurants with restless kids.

•  Make table tops for traveling from cookie sheets. They are found in most dollar or discount stores. You can cover them with paper, paint them, or personalize them any way you choose. The cool thing is that they are magnetic. Attach refrigerator magnetic clips to the cookie sheet to keep your art work, drawing, or crossword puzzle in place. Add a set of magnetic refrigerator phrases for silly sentences, or create your own hangman game with magazine people and letter stickers on magnetic sheets.

•  A family favorite car game is the alphabet sign game. You must find road signs or signs on vehicles for each letter of the alphabet. You need to find them in alphabetical order. For example, “A” Alabama, “B” Bank, “C” Coyote Cave…and so on. Sometimes you get stuck on a letter. Hang in there, you will find them all.

• Another game our family loves is finding all 50 states’ license plates. My little boy encourages, more like pleads, for us to pull into truck stops so he can find the license plates of states he is missing. You can type a list of all fifty states and cross them off as you find them or tally mark each state to see which you find the most frequently. For younger children, it is important to learn where the state is located on a map in relationship to other states. Color in a blank map as you see that state’s license plate on a vehicle. You may even want to create little license plates on paper and adhere them to magnetic sheets. They can be placed on your cookie sheet as you find them.

•  A road trip journal is a must while traveling -- so simple to make and so inexpensive. I found my journal in the dollar bin at a craft store. I like the lined pages in it. Cover the journal with scrap paper or old road map paper. Personalize it for the journey you will be going on. Divide the journal in sections…photos, memorabilia, thoughts, funny stories, something new you learned, places you saw. Think about your journal as a mini scrapbook with dinner receipts, favorite snack wrappers, postcards, and photos placed in it. For younger children, have activities already in it -- like color sheets of places you will visit and questions to be answered about what you saw and what your favorite part was. Add silly sections in the journal -- for example, adhere your snack wrapper and smear your snack here, rub your journal on the ground in three different spots and label where you rubbed it, get your tour guide’s autograph and birthday. You can’t imagine how much fun this is for your family…even Dad. Try doing it with your group of girlfriends. It will leave you in stitches. Come up with the journaling activities in the car on your way to your destination. Beware it might get a little wild. I recommend keeping the journals in zip-lock baggies and having a new box of colored pencils in each one along with glue stick, small scissors, and an eraser. Such a simple, fun activity for all.

• Here is a tip for Moms who get grossed out by crayons in restaurants. Make your own car/purse crayon caddy with a gum container or a Band-Aid box. I love the metal box because the crayons don’t get broken as easily. The size is perfect for placing in your purse. And you can go worry free that the crayons are full of your little ones’ germs and not every child that used them in the restaurant. This little box of crayons is a travel must for me. Warning: Don’t leave it in a hot car.
  
  

Pack some fun into those long car trips with a few supplies and a passport of new ideas. Bon voyage, crafters and enjoy the creative journey.
 
~Kara (Studio Pink)

I'm ba-ack! I hope you enjoyed Tara's journey into entertaining etiquette of the past! Like family scrapbooks from days gone by, old cookbooks and "how to" books like this one bring so much joy (and often, so many laughs!) to future generations.

The last post inspired me to create a party planning journal of my own. It's something I have been meaning to do for awhile, and Tara's post gave me just the push that I needed. I kept the outside simple so that I could focus instead on the important details inside. I chose a kraft colored spiral notebook from K&Company's EXPOSED line because they are easy to alter and the blank ivory pages give me room to add whatever images inspire me along the way. If you'd prefer, you could start with a lined notebook (I love composition books for this application).

 

I love the bright, cheery patterns in Carolyn Gavin's new Greenhouse line - they are perfect for a party planning journal!

Over time I will add bits and pieces of party planning inspiration - images from magazines and online, recipes, photos from my own parties and tips and tricks that I've learned along the way. My first entry recalls my daughter's Movie Night themed birthday party.
 
 
 
I printed pictures of the handmade elements from the party as well as a shot of my daughter that I just couldn't resist! I recorded the theme and date of the party and some basic details that could help when I plan future parties.

 

I also added the recipe for my favorite pineapple punch. I got it from my good friend Christy and I have used it at three or four parties over the years. But sure enough, every time I get ready for a new event I can't remember the (simple!) recipe and have to ask Christy to remind me. Now I can just refer to my handy dandy party planning journal!

 

I hope you are inspired to start a party planning journal of your own. Gather ideas from this blog and other favorite sites, magazines, friends and personal experience. Years later you will value the information as well as the memories!

~ Jessica (Crafty Canary)